Law firm Crowell faces disqualification bid in AI lawsuit
WIX•DeviantArt asked a federal judge to disqualify Crowell & Moring from representing Evox in a copyright lawsuit, arguing the firm previously advised DeviantArt and parent company Wix.com on AI and other matters. Crowell’s general counsel said the firm had not worked for Wix or its subsidiaries since 2024 and had no conflict of interest.
1. Disqualification request
DeviantArt asked a federal judge in Los Angeles to disqualify Crowell & Moring from representing automotive photography company Evox in its lawsuit over photographs allegedly used to train AI technology. DeviantArt said Crowell advised Wix.com and its subsidiaries from 2022 through 2026 on AI litigation, regulation and copyright, and advised DeviantArt on its DreamUp image-generation service.
2. Conflicting accounts
DeviantArt said the firm's prior work gave it access to material confidential information and argued that Crowell had never formally or informally ended its relationship with Wix and its subsidiaries. In a September letter cited in the filing, Crowell's general counsel said the firm had performed no work for Wix or its subsidiaries since 2024 and had no conflict of interest.
3. Underlying lawsuit
Evox sued DeviantArt and several AI companies in July, alleging they violated copyright law by using its photographs to train AI models. Crowell had no immediate comment, and Evox and Wix.com did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
